On September 28, Regency Beauty Institute notified students and the public that it would immediately cease operations and permanently close down 79 campus locations across the country, including five in Minnesota; Over 400 students in Minnesota and hundreds more across the country are left without a clear path forward

In a letter to Secretary of Education King, Klobuchar and Franken urge the Department of Education to protect current and former students of Regency Beauty Institute by providing relief under closed school discharge


WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken have urged the Department of Education to protect students affected by the abrupt closure of Regency Beauty Institute. On September 28, Regency Beauty Institute notified students and the public that it would immediately cease operations and permanently close down 79 campus locations across the country, including five in Minnesota. Over 400 students in Minnesota and hundreds more across the country are left without a clear path forward. In a letter to Secretary King, Klobuchar and Franken urge the Department of Education to protect current and former students of Regency Beauty Institute by providing relief under closed school discharge.

“We write to you with concern about the abrupt closure of the Regency Beauty Institute and the impact this closure will have on current and former students of the school. We urge the Department to protect current and former students of Regency Beauty Institute by providing relief under closed school discharge,” the lawmakers wrote. “We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter, and we look forward to hearing the exact actions the Department will take to protect at-risk students.”

Earlier this month, Klobuchar also urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to help veterans impacted by the closure of ITT Technical Institute. A member of the Senate Education Committee, Franken has pressed the Education Secretary to help students affected by the ITT Tech and Corinthian Colleges closures, and recently led an effort with Klobuchar to support students who were defrauded by Globe University and Minnesota School of Business.

The full text of the lawmakers’ letter is below:

Dear Secretary King,

We write to you with concern about the abrupt closure of the Regency Beauty Institute and the impact this closure will have on current and former students of the school. On September 28, Regency Beauty Institute notified students and the public that it would immediately cease operations and permanently close down 79 campus locations across the country, including five in Minnesota. In a statement, the school listed a variety of reasons for closing its doors, including declining enrollment and a weakening financial position. In the aftermath of this sudden closure, over 400 students in Minnesota and hundreds more across the country are left without a clear path forward. We urge the Department to protect current and former students of Regency Beauty Institute by providing relief under closed school discharge.

As you know, the Department of Education has the legal authority to discharge federal student loans for current students of Regency Beauty Institute who choose not to transfer their credits to another institution and students who have withdrawn from the school in the last 120 days. We ask that the Department act immediately by identifying and reaching out to students who are eligible for closed school discharge. Since students who transfer academic credits to a comparable educational program at another school are not eligible for loan relief, we request that the Department clearly state the criteria for closed school discharge during the outreach process. 

We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter, and we look forward to hearing the exact actions the Department will take to protect at-risk students.

Sincerely,

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